Help Brad Pitt rebuild New Orleans

Posted Wednesday, December 05, 2007 @ 05:41 in Culture by Paul Glanting

Actor Brad Pitt's quartet of: charity, environmental activism, an interest in architecture and a fondness for New Orleans have emerged in a project which was revealed on Monday. "The residents have been homeless long enough," says Pitt. "They're coming up on their third Christmas."

Pitt has commissioned 13 prestigious architecture firms to design houses for the Lower Ninth Ward, one of the areas left the most heavily decimated by Katrina. The project called Make It Right teams Mr. Pitt with William McDonough, the green design expert for Los Angeles based design firm Graft and calls for 150 houses which are to be affordable and up-to-par environmentally. The project is to be funded by $5 Million in various contributions, as well as $5 Million matches from Pitt himself and Philanthropist Steve Bing. Nine other firms who have donated their services are also involved in the project, all of which are to add versatility to the mix, says Pitt.

Each architect was asked to design a 12,000 aquare foot home for about $150,000. Each house must be built five to eight feet off the ground in case of more rising floodwater. However, the project also seeks to keep the culture of New Orleans and subsequently the Lower Ninth Ward in tact. Mr. Bingler of architecture firm Concorndia stated that the residents have asked him for "a house where the baby can be sleeping in the back, the mama making red beans in the kitchen and the grandpa can be on the front porch entertaining neighbors."

You too can help by adopting one house. This holiday season, give the Lower Ninth Ward something they'll cherish for a very long time. You can furnish the house with a low-flush toilet, a solar panel, a water heater and many other essentials at the Check out Make it Right then read the full NY Times article here. 

 

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